[Goldcraig]

That's interesting...never thought of it like that...again, fair play to the farmer who fixed the fencing if that is the case....so just for arguments sake....if it's my responsibility to keep my dogs off his land or if there is an issue, I can expect to pay costs associated with stock loss, what would happen if there was an incident on my land if his stock strays on to it...I agree that correct fencing and planned maintenance should ensure that doesnt happen....but what if?..interesting..

[dixie]

I'd say it's your responsibility to prevent your dogs from worrying his livestock? Not sure who told us but when we moved here there were cows in the field behind and we were told that although it was stock fenced all round, if the cows got into our garden it's our fault for not keeping them out, I may of course be totally wrong!! Any solicitors out their?

[lachlanandmarcus]

In England you have to fence your own stock in. In Scotland generally the cost is deemed to be 50:50. However if one side is a garden or somewhere with no stock ever and the other has the stock then morally they should pay the lions share. ie at least the cost of increasing a fence which marks a boundary (couple of lines of wire and some posts split 50:50 cost wise up to a proper stock proof standard.
Currently if your dog attacks your own stock on your own land, no offence is committed, although that might change with the changes in rules on dogs being considered.
If the animals arent yours, and shouldnt be there, having broken in then it is a moot point, I would certainly be strongly resisting any claim for compensation if for eg it was a garden they broke into, whereas if it were fields the dog was roaming then there might be more argument that the dog wasnt under control.

[robert waddell]

if you have a field and somebody Else's stock stray onto it and subsequently are killed injured or totally disappear you are not responsible for them
some farmers would purposely graze there neighbours and some neighbours would deposit them miles from the owner
i had an instance with a silage field (wondered why there was tracks all over it)then one day saw the neighbours sheep in it as they had climbed a wall to get in the only way i could get them out was open the gate and put them in the road  i was never bothered with his stock again